


The Strong One

by aerosmiley219



Category: MOM - Fandom
Genre: Comfort, F/M, Prequel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-28
Updated: 2017-04-28
Packaged: 2018-10-25 02:29:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10754859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aerosmiley219/pseuds/aerosmiley219
Summary: A prequel to "A Cricket and a Hedge Made of Gold" before Marjorie went to the meeting.  (For Eluny)





	The Strong One

Early morning and late night phone calls are never good. Marjorie had just poured her first cup of coffee when the phone rang. After a minute or so of conversation, she hung up the phone and walked over to the couch, sitting next to Victor.

“It’s not always easy being the strong one,” Marjorie confessed quietly after several moments of quiet after just finding out her sponsor had relapsed. Marjorie had been so stunned when she found out that she was actually rendered speechless.

Victor looked over at his wife sitting next to him. She’d been having a bit of a difficult time lately what with Jill’s new teenage daughter, Christy’s dealings with Violet, working with Weepy Wendy on becoming less “Weepy,” and Bonnie just being Bonnie.

“I know,” he said with a gentle smile as he placed his hand on hers, giving a small reassuring squeeze. “But you’re good at it. And they all appreciate you.”

“I know,” she replied, looking down at their hands as she moved to interlace their fingers. “I’m glad I have you, you know.”

“Yes,” he said, leaning over to place a kiss on her cheek.

“It’s just hard. What if I lost it? Who would be there for me? My sponsor fell off the wagon after 52 years and who was there to catch her? No one! I almost feel like I don’t know if I’d be okay with reaching out to her with my issues any more.” She shook her head still trying to process this news.

Victor sat in silence and listened to his wife pour out her fears.

“She’s got her own demons to deal with. Who would I be if I went to her with mine?” Tears pooled in her eyes and she tried to sniff them away but was betrayed when they began to fall, when it all became too much.

She pulled her hand from his to wipe the tears from her face.

He moved his hand to her knee, still silently observing. He’d realized it wasn’t often that Marjorie felt the need to let down like this but when she did, it was best to just offer his unwavering support by listening and not trying to fix her problems. He wasn’t full of aphorisms like she tended to be. Truth be told, he loved that about her and never understood why others didn’t appreciate the wisdom she had gained the hard way.

Marjorie sobbed and shook her head. “I can’t believe I still relied so heavily on this person. And she’s not as stable as I thought. God,” she started, looking over at her husband in disbelief, “if she can slip, what does that say about me?”

Victor scooted closer to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “You are you. A wise woman once said ‘you cannot judge yourself based on someone else’s actions.’” He smiled at her in encouragement.

He placed a sweet kiss on her temple. “Maybe you should go to a meeting?”

“Yeah, maybe.” She looked over at the clock on the wall, “there’s one this evening with my girls. I’ll do that.”

“Good.”

“Will you,” she started looking down at her hands, “um, will you just hold me for a while? I’ve been shaken to the core here.”

“Of course. Can I get you anything? Tissues? A cat to pet?”

Marjorie gave a meek smile. “No, thanks. I just need to not think for a little bit.”

The couple sat in silence for a few minutes. “Can I,” Victor started, interrupting the quiet, “can I watch rugby while you don’t think?”

She nodded her head and let him reach for the remote before placing it on his shoulder. She sat in silence, still quite in shock over the news.

The game started playing in the background.

Marjorie sighed and tried to get comfortable in his arms once again. “Actually, I can’t handle the noise right now. I’m going to go lay down in the bedroom. Wake me for dinner.” She stood and walked towards the bedroom.

“You’ll be okay,” he called after her.

“Yeah,” she replied, tears beginning to well in her eyes again.

Marjorie walked into their bedroom, shutting the door behind her, and collapsed on the bed, not even bothering to close the curtains. She laid in silence before she grabbed his pillow and held it tight to her chest. The quiet sobs overtook her and for the first time in god knows how long, she didn’t have to be strong for anyone, not even for herself. 

She cried. She cried for her friend and sponsor. She cried for herself. She cried for all the years she felt she had to be strong for everyone else. She cried for all the friends who had fallen off the wagon and especially those who were never able to get back on.

Her mind went to Jodie and just how awful she’d felt when she wasn’t able to be there for that young person. She was on her honeymoon and didn’t even know. “I’ve made peace with that,” she reminded herself in thought.

She closed her eyes and sighed, concentrating on her breathing. Within minutes, she was asleep.

Marjorie awoke several hours later when she felt the mattress sag next to her.

“Wake up my lovely. Come have dinner.”

She hadn’t moved from her original position, her tears on the pillow having long since dried. The room was dark. Victor had come in and closed the curtains and placed a blanket over her sometime while she was asleep. She looked up at him and with a half-hearted smile, she offered, “thanks. What time is it?”

Marjorie looked over at the clock on her nightstand and shook her head. It was already after 5.

He took the pillow from her grasp and offered his hand. “Come. I made soup.”

She took it and followed him to the dining room table. He’d set it, complete with a candle in the middle. 

“Thank you.”

They sat across from each other. Marjorie didn’t have much of an appetite but she knew he put effort into this meal so she took a few spoonfuls before setting her napkin next to her plate. She took a single sip of water. “Thank you. I’m going to get myself together for the meeting.”

She stood rather stoically and walked to the bedroom. Marjorie stared in the mirror for a few minutes, not quite sure who the hollow person was who looking back at her- was it a sponsor? Was it someone who was allowing herself be vulnerable? Was it someone else who she didn’t even know? She sighed once and reminded herself, “I need to get it out. That’s why I’m going to the meeting.”

Marjorie put on some shoes, grabbed her purse and keys and walked out to the living room.

She walked to her husband and bent over to give him a kiss on the top of his head. “Bye.”

“I love you,” he prompted. She never left him without reminding him how much he meant to her.

She forced a smile and looked down at him. She patted him on the cheek and left.

“I really hope this meeting helps her,” Victor said to himself with a sigh.


End file.
